Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-01-12
Probable Origin. History and
Literature of the Gypsies.
Their Migration from India to Persia,
Asia Minor and Europc-The Powers
Of Their Kings and Queens-In-
corrigibIe Vagabonds.

IT. J. Bowditch, in Troy On. " Times-l
The nomadic race, known as Gypsies or
Gipseys, have different appellations in diff
ferent countries. In England and in this
country they are Gypsies; they are Bohe-
mians in France; Gitanos and Zincah in
Spain, Zigeuner in Germany, Heathens in
Holland, Eaters in Denmark and Sweden,
Czijanyok and Pharonpek in Hungary,
Sisech in Persia, Karachee in Hindostan.
Harami in Arabia, and their own acknowl-
edged title is Rom-their language, which
Is split into many dialects, being generally
called Romany Tschib. In the Gypsy
language Rom means a husband, and
Romany the sect of the husbands. Gypsy
is term derived from a corruption of
the word Egyptian. 1t is somewhat sim
gular that the Gypsies never found a rest
ing place in the United States, Canada or
Ireland. They have been scattered over
the whole Of Europe, with the Irish excep-
ton, and in parts of Asia and Africa, but
never made settlement in the new world.
There can be no doubt that the Gypsies de-
rive their origin from India and philolo-
gists have decided that their language is
dialect of the old Sanscrit, though it has
appropriated words from various coun-
tries and lost many of its own. 1t is clear
that originally coming from the borders of
Northern India, this tribe passed first into
Persia, where they remained long time;
next went into Macedonia, or some other
Greek country-perhaps into Asia minor
and thence descended into Cyprus, Hun
gary, Wallachia, etc. The first emigration
of this tribe into Persia is thought to have
been as early as 420 A ID. The Gypsies
passed from Asia into Europe in the
twelfth century, and were commonly called
IshmaeliteS-every hand being against
them. They pursued the ostensible occu-
patton of braziers Tor kettle menders), and
were accused Of cheating and robbing
whenever they had q chance
Early in the fifteenth century they over
ran Germany, Moldavia, Switzerland and
Italy, their numbers being fourteen thou
sand. After this they invaded France and
appeared before, but were not admitted
into, Paris. Gradually they wandered as
far north as Russia and Sweden and as low
south as Spain. Their own account is that
they originally came from Little Egypt"
One of their traditions is that God SEN
fenced the race to endless wandering in
expiation of their want of hospitality to
the Holy Family on it's fight from chill
dren-slaying Herod. At first the Gypsies
were well received, but when they proved
themselves adopts in the arts Of fortune
telling, cheating, magic and thieving, they
were outlawed throughout Europe Good
citizens were forbidden to have any deal
ings with them, and it was considered q
creditable deed TO Stay a Gypsy. They had
settled in England and Scotland toward
the middle of the fifteenth century, and
ere long several severe DEGREES, intended
TO extirpate them, were hurled against
them by James ", father OF Mary, Queen
Of Scots, and Henry VIII. of England.
During the next hundred years later Maria
Theresa made strenuous efforts to improve
their moral and social condition, giving
education. TO their children and trying to
attach TO tho soil and to habits of
industry by giving them land to cultivate
and building additional streets in the viii
lagos Tor them to live in. But all such eff
forts have failed. They have always re-
sumed their wild and wandering mode Of
vagabond life.
No estimate of the number of the Gyp-
sizes can be fully relied on. 1t varies from
100000 set down by one writer, to 5000, 900,
stated by another. In England and Scot
land there are some 1900 of this race.
They are divided INTO classes and tribes
the StanleyS' haunt is the New Forest; the
Lovells are fond of London and its vicinity:
the coopers live round about Windsor; the
Smiths have taken up their abode in the
eastern countries. and the Hens have ap-
propriated the north of England and York
shire In Fife, in the south of Scotland
they may be said to abound, and live by
poaching, thieving, cheating, fortune-tell-
ing, spoon-maling, ousetrap-making,
! fishing, wood-carving, tinkering (mending
one hole and leaving two fresh ones), and
| so on.
| They are governed by king or queen, as
the case may be, to whom they pay great
respect, and even submission, leaving all
the treasures of the tribe Oewels and hard
cash) in their sovereign's possession, and
! even at his disposal The sovereign can
| expcl any of his subjects for misconduct or
| INSTRUMENTATION, but there rarely is any oc-
casion to go to this extremity. They are
not very particular III their dict-game
birds, domestic fowl, harcs, lambs, hedge
hogs, moles, fish, and it is said even rats
and mice, being flung together into its caul-
Iron in which they cook their soup. 1t is
said that the soup is wonderfully appetiz-
| ing. They have the same aversion to cells
! that Scot@hmen generally exhibit. 1t
may be added that the finest violin per-
formers in Hungary are Gypsies, and that
John Bunyan, the inspired tinker who
wrote 1.-The Pilgrims Progress" is claimed
! by them as a scion of their race.
Bulwer has slzetchec a Gypsy and a
Gypsy camp in ''The Disowned," the third
| OF MS novels george BOnau mas greater
knowledge Of the Gypsies than perhaps any
other living man. A great philologist, he
awaited himself of an opportunity afforded
by the encampment Of 4 gang of Gypsies
on a heath near his residence to obtain a
thorough knowledge of their language.
While in Spain he consulted much with the
! Zincoli (the Gypsies, whom the natives call
Gitanos), and found that their language
was much the same as that of their English
cousins. He translated the New Testament
into the Spanish dialect of Romany, and in
1888 printed five hundred copies of the Cos
pei of Luke, in the translation of which he
had been assisted up to the eighth chapter
by the Gypsie5 themselves 1t was found
that the Gitanos or Ziucoli who could read
thoroughly understood this translation, and
eight copies-not, Mr.. Bonau thought, be.
cause of the truths it contained, but from a
desire to see and read their broken jargor
in print. In 1851 appeared his "Lavengro;
the Scholar, the Gypsy and the Priest
partly photographer, partly fictitious, to
which IN 1851, 1.-THE Romany Rye" appeared
| as SEQUEL